I know you've heard it time and time again: before you wash your hair make sure you BRAID and BAND it - particularly during the 'settling in period' (usually the first 6 months after your Sisterlocks installation but it can be longer) And I know that for some of you this 'braiding and banding' business gets on your last nerve... what a hassle eh? BUT it is an IMPORTANT step in ensuring you end up with the best looking locs possible - especially if you have a looser curl pattern...

I am going to show you in pictures to see if I can ram the point home.

If you are a newbie then you MUST braid and band, I know it adds extra time to your washing routine but it is VERY important.

This is one of my clients just after installation.

And this is a picture of the same client approx 6 weeks later (having missed an earlier appointment, gone swimming at least twice a week every week and washed about twice a week every week without consistent braiding and banding).

While adhering to a strict 4 week schedule may not be financially feasible (or time possible - for those of you who DIY) - it IS important to choose your frequency and stick with it as this will give you the BEST POSSIBLE result over time.

If you normally go every 6 weeks and have to stretch it to 8 weeks once or twice in a year - your hair shouldn't fall off your head (although Blaq Kofi did lose a loc or two doing that), what WILL happen is that your retightening session will take longer than you're used to and may cost more - especially if remedial work is required.

If you regularly switch it up - 5 wks, 8, wks, 6 wks, 4 wks, 10 wks - you are likely to end up with lumpy, bumpy or even ropey locs... as a result of the uneven tension that will inevitably have been applied.

Let me explain - your hair normally grows at different rates. At 4 wks this may not be significantly noticeable, at 6-8 weeks your Consultant may notice one section (or more) requires more rotations than another section due to increased growth there... (you can extrapolate)...

The more new growth there is the greater the likelihood of uneven tension being (unintentionally) applied by your Consultant or even yourself (e.g. she may have another client on the way, you may be in a hurry, you may start day dreaming in the middle of a rotation, someone could interrupt you, your arms start to get tired etc etc etc).

It is this uneven tension during the rotation that leads to mr lumpy, mr bumpy and mr ropey living in your head. If you don't mind this - then coolio - but if you paid for Sisterlocks/microlocks because you loved the UNIFORMITY of those many tiny locs - then please pay attention to your retightening.